Status Updates From Ring of Truth (Astoria Roya...

Katya & Stasia reunited

“You’re our fucking brother. I don’t care if you live on the North Pole. You call, we come. Da gave us those instructions years ago. When he was running things, he always kept a team ready to fly to California, or Seattle, wherever the hell you 2 spoiled brats lived.”
Spoiled because we wanted careers helping people. All while my brothers shouldered the responsibility of protecting my father’s crime legacy.

“I need Lachlan,” I admit quietly. “You guys win. I can’t do this alone.”
“That means your ass comes home,” Eoghan sounds very dictatorial, especially since there’re two brothers who outrank him. Sort of. “You took in Stasia. You put yourself at risk. We can’t protect you on a different coast.”
“Fine.” What the fuck did I just agree to?

Darragh’s in trouble
Needs help from his brothers

Darragh calls his brothers on a secure phone

“Get into the safe room and close the door behind you. Lock yourselves in. Now.”
I dreaded the day I would have to send Sophie in there alone. It sickened me when I had the thing designed, calming myself with bullshit lies: I’ll never need it.
Then I go and steal a Bratva princess from my brother. A pregnant one, who just gave birth to the Astoria Brotherhood heir.

Russian mercenaries

“Darragh,” I choke out. “I still want to hear the words. No man has ever said them to me,” I whisper.
He doesn’t bother to ask if Cormac did, he knows his brother.
“I love you, Anastasia Koslov.” He bounces our son on his knee. “And all the trouble you come with. Bring it on. You’re worth it, Mama.”

“Such irony,” I coo. “I got knocked up by one O’Rourke, but I’ll be marrying another one.”
“Good thing there are seven of us. Men anyway.” He kisses my forehead. “Wait. Is that your way of agreeing to marry me?”
“I guess I am.” I look up into his green eyes. “I love you, Darragh. The moment you looked at me, I knew. Even though I tried to fight it.”

Ana & Darragh 💍

“You’re gorgeous…You look amazing holding my son.”
I put Darragh’s name on the birth certificate as the father, sealing our bond with this baby, half Irish, half Russian.
All trouble.
Darragh got several calls from his brothers with congratulations along with the warnings. We have to face the music in Astoria.
Ana

Ana- “I wonder if my father’s Bratva will kiss the ring of a pakhan named James Patrick O’Rourke.”
Darragh- I don’t mention that I will never let that happen. I will never give my son to either my family or the Bratva.

Baby named after Darragh’s grandfather

Baby time

“My brothers won’t let anything happen to us. I want us to be together. To raise this baby together. I don’t want to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. I don’t trust your father either….”

Darragh to Ana

“If you agree to face your father, then I insist we get married first. It’s better for both of us, if I bring you there as my wife. And present the baby as ours.”

Darragh to Ana

Darragh- I worry she’ll make contact with Katya and expose us before my brothers can have a sit down with her father. He’ll want retribution. He’ll want Cormac’s head. My family is ruthless and wears blood on their hands like champs, but they’re disciplined.
Unlike the Bratva.

Her velvet lips hypnotize mine. Makes me forget all my troubles.
What will my feelings for her do to my world?
And hers?

Darragh about Ana

“You’re mine,” I remind her, whispering.
Mine to claim.
Mine to protect.
And…
Mine to love.
“And you’re mine, Darragh O’Rourke.” Her emphasis on my last name rings loudly because our families are enemies.

Ana and Darragh

I’ll give her the world. Shower her with love and anything else she wants.

Darragh about Ana

Maybe I’ll have the chance to create a new Bratva, born of Irish blood as well.

Ana thinks of her baby
Cormac’s baby

Darragh- I’ll always take care of you. Treat you like a princess. You may not want to wear a crown, but you’ll be the queen in this house if you stay with us. Me and Sophie.
Ana- Sure, drag the kid into it.
Darragh- I didn’t say I’d play fair.

Darragh- Stroking my face, he whispers with a heady groan, “I didn’t think this could happen to me. I was waiting. I was waiting for you to open me up and force me to feel something.”
Ana- “I know what you mean.” I sit back against the headboard,

Orgasms are mental, and when I realize he’s losing it because he’s banging his twin’s baby mama, that forbidden, taboo element has my womb clenching.

Ana about Darragh

She skips toward the stairs, but it’s Darragh I watch, looking at his daughter.
I finally get it. How kids become your world.
I had all his attention twenty minutes ago, and now it’s like I’m not here.
But it’s okay, I adore seeing him so in love with his daughter.

Ana understands

Sophie hugs me goodnight and with her leaning into me, my baby kicks.
“I felt that!” she cries out.
“The baby knows it’s you.” I smooth her tender cheek.
He was doing somersaults while Darragh was kissing me, too, like he knows they are his family.

“That’s so hot, Darragh.”
“Yeah, don’t confuse me with my brother.” He holds my face. “I’ll take care of you. Treat you right. Like you deserve.”
This all happened so quickly, him finding me pregnant and going all alpha to claim what he believes is his family’s heir.
But I come with that deal, something he didn’t like at first.
The mess in my hand means something changed his mind…
Anastasia

With their golden hair, sharp jaws, and cocky attitudes, I found Darragh and Cormac to be the most handsome of the O’Rourkes.
Anastasia

“Perineal massages can be done alone, Moms. But Dads, you can help. You should have read somewhere by now that orgasms at this stage of pregnancy are very helpful. Loosens the muscles in the birth canal. Dads, I suggest you give Moms at least one a day.” She gets back to her mat at the top of the circle.

Instructor at couples prenatal yoga class
Ana & Darragh there together

“We’ll figure it out.” He kisses my forehead softly. “I have something else to tell you. I signed us up for a prenatal class tomorrow night.”
“Us?”
“You and me. We’re having a baby.” He stands with his arms folded. “Have I not made that clear?”

Darragh & Ana
Having a baby together (sort of)

Darragh tells Ana that her sister is married to his brother

Darragh calls Eoghan to tell him about Ana

“We still have to deal with Cormac.” Her voice reeks of fear.
“No.” I sit back and level a stare at her. “I have to deal with him. Say you’ll give me a chance, and I will make that problem go away.”
“How? What are you going to do, kill him?”
“If I have to,” I say this only because I worry he’ll kill her….
“You’re a monster, too.”

Ana & Darragh
He scared her 👿